My blurred opinion

Scars to stars

Deana Mitchell was recommended to me by a past guest, he had been in one of her books, and told me that I should get in touch with her, and that I could possibly be a part of the series as well, not knowing that her and I would become friends, and that I would have her on the show. I am very grateful to her for the opportunity, but also more importantly, her friendship. Deana is a very kind person, but as always had a shadow over her, a dark shadow, and she never really fully addressed until later in life. She's always had depression, and she's even attempted suicide once, but never told anybody, because she didn't think anyone would fully understand. She also has psoriasis which is a skin condition, and endometriosis, which is a condition that makes it really hard to have children. Now that she's finally really addressing all her issues from her past, she's finding her true self, and she has even created a New York Times, best selling series that is helping countless people, and and she's another beautiful example of someone taking their pain and turning it into something positive.
https://cdn.fbsbx.com/v/t59.2708-21/361726012_1185359426192023_7270298969291956629_n.docx/General-Bio-June-2023-Deana-Brown-Mitchell.docx?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=0cab14&_nc_ohc=bBXoye4O6sEAX-lZ5mk&_nc_ht=cdn.fbsbx.com&oh=03_AdT3w-M9WX3Mjo3DXCMW2fSiFCOm0RqGl971Dfe2C3A-bw&oe=64C0DF21&dl=1
 

One lonely New Year’s Eve

This is an episode I did a few years back, I was really depressed, feeling really lonely, and I decided to put the microphone in front of me and hit record on the podcast board. It's a moment in time where it shows how certain holidays can spark, an adverse reaction, and a sad moment in a person with a disability eyes. This was about two years ago, and I decided to put the episode in the vault for someday if I ever wanted to release it, I didn't want to react and put it out just because that's how I was feeling, but I did want to show how some days this is how I feel. Though this is not entirely how I feel at the moment, I do make some good points, and there are some things I do say in this episode that I still feel that way to this day. 

Small in stature, but large impact

 Becky Curran Kekula is a motivational speaker and advocate for people with physical disabilities. Kekula, who was born with achondroplasia, a form of dwarfism, works as director of the Disability Equality Index, a tool that helps businesses plan solutions to achieve disability inclusion and equality. The marketing major discussed the accommodations that help her do everyday activities, the challenges she faced while starting a career in the entertainment industry, and what’s on the horizon for her family. It was really nice talking to her, and it's even more important to see a female who advocates for her condition the way she does. https://beacons.ai/beckymotivates
 

My race against death

Shoba is the next guest and I couldn't be more happy about that, she is such a kind person, and has been through so much. She is the perfect example of a person who is so kind and doesn't deserve the things that has happened to her, but all that she has been through has made her the woman she is today.  She is a three time cancer survivor, and a kidney transplant recipient. She's originally from India, but now resides in San Francisco, California. Those she's very aware that cancer could happen again, she's not running from it, she wants to share her story to help those who are struggling with the horrible disease that is cancer. She wants people to know that the disease will not define her, and as long as she can, and as long as she's able, she will share her story, and she will help others
Her website https://www.shobarao.com
 

Without restraint

In this episode, we have two guests, Robert and Ryan Delena, a father and son who wrote a book about Ryan's struggles with his condition and how skiing saved his life. As a child, Ryan had difficulty controlling his emotions and was placed in therapeutic schools that relied on detrimental methods of behavior modification such as physical restraint. Nothing helped from a team of doctors to heavy medication. Then in 2010, he was voluntarily committed to a mental hospital for further evaluation. Robert and his wife were counseled to place him in a group home. They refused. 
Everything changed when they went on a trip and they took Ryan skiing, and saw how his behavior exponentially changed, and that Ryan had a passion, and he had something he was good at, and that overall he was just misunderstood. 
His website https://without-restraint-book.com
 

Ms. blind diva

Goddess Johnson is beyond qualified to talk about having a visual impairment and being successful. She lost most of her sight, and had a freak accident, and is that with mental health and many other traumas in her life, but she has had way more success than failures.  She has received two masters degrees, she owns two businesses, which they I'll have some sort of benefactor to the youth, who is visual impairment, mental health, and more.
Instagram at the.realgoddest

Thank you BEARy much for three years

In this episode, we celebrate our three-year anniversary by having one of my closest friends, and the previous guest. Roxie interviewed me. I sent a message to many of the earlier guests for questions that Roxie can ask me during the episode. I wanted to show a silly side, and a deeper side of me that you don't always get when I am doing the interviewing. She also answers questions, and we go back-and-forth, and show how weird our friendship is, but we also give you our take on serious issues that were brought up within the questions. 

I am my own best teacher

Michael Hingson, blind since birth, was born in Chicago to sighted parents who believed in raising their son with a can-do attitude. Treated like all other children in his family, Michael rode a bike did advanced math in his head and learn to read and write - Braille that is! Michael's family relocated to the warm Palmdale area of California when he was five years old. It is here that Hingson had his first adventure with Guide Dogs for the Blind and received his first guide dog. He later went to college receiving a bachelor's and master's degree in Physics along with a secondary teaching credential from the University of California at Irvine.
Michael then enjoyed a nearly-30-year career working for high tech companies spending most of his time in management roles.
Michael Hingson's life changed dramatically on September 11, 2001 when he and his guide dog, Roselle, escaped from the 78th floor of Tower One in the World Trade Center moments before it collapsed. Soon after, Michael and Roselle were thrust into the international limelight where Michael began to share his unique survival story and 9-11 lessons of trust, courage, heroism, and teamwork.
Mike has served as The National Public Affairs Director for one of the largest Nonprofit organizations in the nation: Guide Dogs for the Blind; He serves as the vice president of the National Association of Guide Dog Users; Michael holds seats on other agency boards including the Fort Worth Lighthouse for the Blind, the Earle Baum Center for the Blind and the Colorado Center for the Blind; Michael is The National Ambassador for the Braille Literacy Campaign of the National Federation of the Blind. He is the Founder of the Roselle's Dream Foundation - helping the blind obtain the technology they need to not only excel in school and at work, but to live out their dreams!
Until October 2019 he worked as the CEO of the Do More Foundation, the non-profit arm of Aira Tech Corp, a manufacturer of assistive technology which makes a revolutionary visual interpreter for blind people.
He is the author of the #1 New York Times Best Seller: "Thunder dog -The True Story of a Blind Man, a Guide Dog & the Triumph of Trust" - selling over 2.5 million copies Worldwide. In 2014 Mr. Hingson published his 2nd book "Running with Roselle"- which Is the first of its kind- A story for our youth shedding light on one of Americas Darkest Days.
Aside from his talents and advocacies, Mr. Hingson has traveled the Globe from Japan to New Zealand, the Netherlands to his hometown, Chicago. Speaking to some of the world's most elite: from former President, George W. Bush to Larry King, to Fortune 500 companies and colleges and Universities Nationwide. After sharing his story of survival on hundreds of TV and Radio programs, Michael is now an Expert hired by many of today's major corporations and organizations. Speaking and consulting on the importance of Teamwork and Trust, Moving from Diversity to Inclusion, as well as offering Adaptive Technology Training - spearheading innovation for ALL! - Thus, bringing organizations to the forefront of the ever-changing competitive modern world.
Currently, Michael lives in Victorville, California with his wife, Karen, a professional quilter, Alamo, Michael's eighth guide dog and their rescue feline, Stitch. https://michaelhingson.com/books/

Breaking bondage from addiction

Doug Sweeneys honesty in this episode was courageous, sincere, heartbreaking at times, and powerful. His story is primarily about addiction, starting within his household, and eventually succumbing to it as a child. He tried to be a full fledge, functional alcoholic, but that didn't really work, if anything, it made it worse. Eventually, drugs came into the picture, and a multitude of mistakes, and hitting multiple bottoms, somehow, to this day he still alive, and here, to tell his story to those that are also struggling with addiction, and needing guidance. He's a beautiful and brave person, and he is well needed in the fight against addiction.
His website https://www.breakingbondagefromaddiction.com

Fabulous over 50

Jen Hardy is a podcast host, author, speaker, community builder, and a stay-at-home mom that homeschools her seven children. , until she hit her 40s and her doctor diagnosed her with horrible asthma, and muscular dystrophy that went totally unnoticed.  After a hospitalization, she had time to ponder where her life is going from here, and she decided that she wanted to live her best life in her 50s, even with all of her illnesses. Jen really is a sweet, smart, brave woman, who seems to take on all the challenges that come her way, go somedays it can be hard, but she's always there to meet that challenge at the door.
Her website https://jenhardy.net